For criminalized women—especially those who’ve survived trafficking, incarceration, and generational poverty—the idea of “formal education” often feels like a fortress: high walls, locked gates, and a very specific key held by someone on the other side. If you didn’t get your high school diploma at 18 or walk across a stage in a cap and gown, you’re somehow seen as less equipped, less capable, less… educated.

But let’s break down how that gatekeeping actually works.